The Cullen's and a book
by Sterolinelovely
Summary: Nessie goes back in time to when her parents relationship is starting to bloom With 4 books she's going to change the Cullens future for the better Happens after pg294 in Mind Over Matter Just the Cullen's and bella. Might add some more characters later
1. Chapter 1

**Okay here is another story I have been getting alot of inspiration on lately. Well here is The Cullen's and a book. basically, Renesmee was going out to hunt while Edward and Bella stayed home. The time is 2010. Renesmee looks about 11. Anyways, she's walking in the woods when she see's a box. right when she picks it up she it brought to the past. in 2005 when bella went to the meadow for the first time. This story is about Edward, Bella and the rest of the cullens reading and trying to change the future.**

**Hope its good! Stephenie meyer owns twilight!**

**Emmett: hey beka?**

**Me: yeah?**

**Emmett: you dont own-**

**Me: Emmett i know I dont own twilight!**

**Emmett: I was gonna say you didnt own cotton candy but ok!**

**Edward: what are you 2 talkin about?**

**Me: oh just how much I love you!**

* * *

The Cullen's and a book

**(3rd person)**

Renesmee had just left her old house, where her mom and dad were because they were just visiting. They wanted to come and see Forks after being away the past 3 years. She rarely ever went hunting, or anywhere alone because her dad was very protective over her. Mom always said he was protective over her when she was human. Renesmee wondered how it was when her mom was human. She was skipping around the woods when a box caught her attention. What would a box be doing out here in the woods. As soon as she picked the box up, everything went white for a second, and then back to normal. The only difference was it was darker outside. It looked to be about 5 or 6. What happened? Renesmee wondered, but started to open the box. Inside were two letters, and 4 books. One was to the Cullen's amd one to her. She read the letter that was addressed to her.

_Dear Renesmee, _

_You may not know this, but you have just traveled back in time to 2005 when you parents are barely together. Your mom and dad have just gotten back from the meadow. You must go to her house, and tell them about these books. Get them to gather at the Cullen house, and read the books with you. It may help change the future. Once you finish reading the books, you will be sent back in time. If the Cullens change the future, things will of course end differently, and you won't remember a thing. Everyones future is in your hands._

**(Renesmee's POV)**

Yes! Now I get to read about Mom's time as a human! And how protective dad was, and other various unknowns! I put the letter back in the box, and ran the fast I could to Grandpa's house. When I got there I saw a old rusty red truck in the driveway. Was that the truck my mom said she missed? I ran up to the door, and before I could knock, my dad had the door open. He was looking at me in confusion. Oh yeah, he has no idea who I am yet. "Hi!" I said almost sounding like Alice. "Who are you and how do you know-" I cut him off. "I'm your daughter!" I said faking sadness. "Um, th-thats not possible." he quickly replied. "I figured you'd say that. Now let me come in, and I'll explain." He reluctantly let me in. As soon as I walked in I saw Mom standing in the hall. "Hi mom!" I said casually walking past her and into the living room. This was so fun! I sat on the couch, and waited for them to come in. I could barely hear them whispering in the hall. "Who is she? And why did she call me mom?" "I dont know!" "What is she?" My mom yell whispered. I stifilled a laugh. "Half vampire half human mom!" I said in a normal tone as if she was sitting right next to me.

Less that 5 seconds later they both came walking into the living room. Both of them were wearing confused, and scared exspressions. "Can I explain now?" I really didn't want to end my fun, but I knew if I didn't start soon, all the cullens would be here, and I'd be dead. Family or not. They both sat, and looked up at me. "Okay my name is Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I was born to Edward and Bella Cullen." I stated simply know this would confuse them further. I made sure to block my thoughts too. "But how? We can't be your parents!" Dad nearly screeched. He eyed my hair, then my eyes, and stared in horror. "Well not in this year, but in the year 2010 you are. I'm from the future. You are my parents. You got married and had me next year.I'm half human half vampire because dad your a vampire, and mom you were a human when you got pregnant. Well anyways, I was going out hunting while you two stayed at the cottage, when I saw this box in the woods. Well when I picked it up, everything went white. A couple of seconds later it was the same again, except it was darker outside. I opened the box, and it told me I had gone back in time to 2005. I'm supposed to read these 4 books with you and the entire Cullen family too." I replied smiling slightly. "I have a daughter? Your my daughter?" dad asked coming out of shock first. I just nodded. He was probably really conflicted right now. I mean thinking for over 90 years you would never be able to have kids, and then all of a sudden you find out you can, and you have a daughter is alot. I didn't even see it coming when he pulled me in for a hug. "My daughter." he whispered lovingly. At that mom seemed to come out of shock. She came over to us, and hugged us both. A little later we all pulled away.

"Oh, there's another letter in there for you." I said about to get it when I heard a car coming onto the driveway. "Alice!" dad yelled and she was there. "Whats going on?" she asked. I saw dad whispering real fast, and I guess he was talking in vampire speed. I could see his lips moving, but couldn't quiet understand them. "All I saw was charlie getting here, and catching you two trying to run out the back door." she replied to his explination. "You could of just called." "It would of still ended the same way." she said as a car started pulling up the driveway. "Now lets act like were just having a friendly conversation." she said sitting down just as the front door opened. "Bella we should have a sleepover! You could come over tomorrow, and Edward could drive us to school monday!" she squealled. Wow Alice never changes, or didn't change I should say. "I'll ask Alice." mom said laughing. "Bella?" grandpa said walking into the living room. It took all of my strength not to jump up, and pull him into a bone crushing hug. "Yeah dad?" mom replied looking anywhere, but at me. "Who are your friends here?" he asked. "Oh the Cullens and Renesmee." she said hands slightly shaking. "Oh I don't think I've heard of you Renesmee. Which is weird since this town is so small." grandpa said looking at me. He looked at my hair, and then at dad. Comprehention flickered on his face. Dad spoke up, thanks to his mind reading. "That's because no one really has. If you don't count my whole family and bella. Renesmee is my niece." "Oh, but I thought all of your family was dead. I mean, I'm sorry." he said. "My mom and dad. I had a brother. He was adopted too. I haven't heard from him since I was little. Kind of lost contact. Renesmee is my brother's and his wives daughter. He called me the other day. We talked and he asked if Renesmee could stay with me for a week or two." he stated simply. He said almost the same thing he said when grandpa found out. Well in my time.

"Oh that's nice. So how old are you kiddo?" Grandpa asked me. "I'm 11." "Oh, so how old is your mom and dad?" he questioned. I decided to go with the sorta truth. "My mom is 28 and my dad is 27." I said smiling at mom and dad. "Oh, so they had you young." he responded trying to keep a strait face. "Why did your mom and dad need you to stay with your uncle?" He wondered. "Well they wanted to visit grandpa and grandma's grave and they don't like me going. Plus they been trying to find Uncle for forever. It's really good to be here too. I only saw Uncle once when I was a little baby. I could m=barely remember him. I remembered his hair and eyes though. Me and him have grandma's hair. My dad's hair is just brown. Daddy said that's how he always remembered Uncle. By his hair and eyes." I spoke sadly. _I mean that's how you remember grandma daddy. _I thought to daddy hugging him close. He smiled down at me. "Oh, well that is nice. Bella did you make anything?" he asked walking to the kitchen. "I heated up the leftover's from last night." she said sighing. "Well I think its time to go. Esme is probably wondering were we are." Alice stage talked. "Yeah I'm tired." I said yawning. "See you later bella." dad said hugging her and then he gave her a quick peck on the mouth. "Bye love. I'll see you late tonight." He whispered so low I could barely hear. Charlie came out of the kitchen now, and I waved at him. "Bye Mr. Swan!" I said hugging him. "bye renesmee and which two are you?" charlie asked. "Edward and Alice." Dad said grabbing my hand. "Come on reness**(ruh-nez i think its cool) **I'm sure Chief Swan and Bella want to spend the rest of the evening by themself." dad said leading me to the door. "Wait!" mom called running to us. "Bye renesmee!" she cried hugging me close. "I love you my little girl." she whispered as she let go of me. "Bye Edward and Alice." she gave each of them a hug. Just as we got outside Alice jumped on me. "OMG! I have a niece! We can shop together and give each other makeovers! it'll be so much fun!" she screamed so loud I wondered how everyone in the neighborhood didn't hear her. Something occurred to me. "I forgot the box!" I said running to the door just as it opened. Mom was standing there. "Looking for this?" she questioned. "Thanks mom!" I said kissing her cheek, and running back to the car. As soon as I hopped in, dad hit the excelerator. He wasn't going as fast as he usually did, and that confused me. "Dad why are you going so slow?" I said laying all the way down. He just looked at me, and then pushed the gas more. My eyes started to get droopy, and then everything went black.

**(Edward's Pov)**

I watched my daughter sleep in the backseat. I had a daughter. Who would of thought! All I wanted to do right now was shout it from the rooftops. I pulled up into the garage, and parked the car. I got out, and got Renesmee out the back seat. She looks so beautiful sprawled across the backseat, laying down with her curls rolling all over her face. Such a beautiful angel, just like her mother. I knew she was the moment I opened the door. I picked Renesmee up while Alice got the box. I walked into the house to find everyone in the living room. _who is she?_ Esme questioned. _she looks like you. _Emmett thought. _She has the same shade of hair as Edward _Jasper thought. _why is she here? _Rosalie's thoughts were angry. I could care less. "Who is she?" Carlisle said for everyone else. "My daughter." I said walking up the stairs. My answer caused an uproar to their thoughts. This was one of the many times I wish I could control my mind reading. It was helpful, but sometimes all I want is to only hear my thoughts without having to be miles away from any humanity. "I'll explain after I put her to sleep." I ran up to my room, and placed Renesmee on my couch. One thing about her was she was as hot as the werewolves. "Here." Alice said handing me a blanket. "Thanks." I said putting the blanket over her, and kissing her forehead. Me and Alice headed back downstairs to deal with the others. "Renesmee is me and Bella's daughter from the future. Turns out vampire men can have children with human women seeing as only the women needs to change during a pregnancy." I said getting back up. "I'll let you tell them the rest Alice. I'm going to Bella's." I ran through the trees without stopping to Bella's house.

I arived at her place a minute later. I ran up the tree, to find the window open. I climb in, and then close the window. Bella is laying on the bed staring at me in shock. "Bella its me." I said walking to her. "OH!" she said running into my arms. "Edward! I missed you so much." she said pulling me to the bed. I laid her down, and put the covers over her. Then I laid next to her on top of the covers. "I was only gone 30 minutes." I whispered putting a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I know I'm just so confused about whats going on. Oh yeah I asked charlie if I could spend the night at your house tomorrow, and he said ok. Probably because I said I was having a slumber party in Alice's room." She laid her head on my chest. "Well we both know thats not true at all." she said smiling warmly. "Yep, the only room you'll be spending the night in is mine." I breathed. She blushed scarlet, and buried her face in my chest. I hugged her to me, and breathed in her scent. "Where's Renesmee?" she asked a second later, lifting her head. "Asleep in my room." I said remembering her laying on my couch, with her hair all over her face. "She's so beautiful. She has your hair, and my eyes. I can't believe we have a daughter, or will have one." she said laughing at the end. "I know. I was watching her while she was asleep. Her hair was all over her face. In her face and everything. Her curls rolling around. She looked just like you when you sleep. She was as beautiful as you." I smiling remembering the image again. "She's prettier than me." bella murmured snuggling into me. "No. Your not prettier than her. You are beautiful just like her. She wouldn't be pretty like she is if you weren't her mom. You both equally beautiful. She is cute in a little girl way, but you make that up with your womanly figure." I mumbled against her throat. I put my hands on her hips, and slid them down, grabbing her thighs. I pulled one hand up to hold her cheek. "You are beautiful, gorgeous, and absolutly sexy." I breathed on her neck. "Uhh." she said. Her eyes were rolling into the back of her head.

"You okay there beautiful?" I whispered pulling back. "What?" she said blinking. I simply loved that I could do these things to her. It made me feel so good inside. "Ugh! Stupid dazzling vampire!" bella swore laying all the way back on the bed. "I think you should sleep now." I said humming her lullaby. "Wait. I was wondering about these books. Don't you think we're messing with fate and it might make everything worse?" bella rushed out staring strait at me, and then quickly looking down. "No they were sent here for a purpose. I think those books will help us alot." I said kissing her forehead. Then I started to hum her lullaby. "Okay." she said closing her eyes. Her breathing started to slow, and I knew she was sleeping.

**(Bella's Pov)**

He started to hum, and the next thing I knew I was asleep. I woke up in the morning pleasantly happy. I could feel cold arms wrapped around me. "Goodmorning beautiful." edward murmured in my ear. I opened my eyes to find Edward exactly were he was when I fell asleep. "Hey." I said kissing him. Then I saw his shirt. It was different then the one he had on last night. It was light blue. The one he had on last night was white. "You left?" I touched the tip of his collar. "Well yeah. I couldn't leave in the same shirt I came in yesterday." he simply stated sitting up. "Now if you hurry and get dressed, we can get to the house sooner, and read the book." At that, I was out of bed, and in the bathroom brushing my teeth. Good thing I took a shower yesterday! I thought to myself as I made my way to my room. I walked in to find Edward sitting on the edge of the bed staring my way. "I'll give you some privacy." he stood up, and he was out of the room. "Vampire speed." I muttered under my breath as I pulled a clean pair of pants and a shirt on. I heard a chuckle, and shook my head smiling. "Stupid hearing!" shouted as I pulled my converse on. I headed to the stairs, when Edward apeared right in front of me. He had a serious face, but I could faintly detect a smile on his lips. "What's up with the vampire dissing?" he questioned eyeing me seriously.

"Did I hurt you feelings?" I said smiling. "Yeah I'm hurt, real hurt. How could you make fun of me like that?" he said smiling along with me. We both burst out laughing. When I had calmed down, I spoke. "Please don't tell me your gonna start acting like this all the time!" I shook my head going down the stairs while he just stared at me. When I got to the 3rd to last step, he ran to me. "What does 'act like this' mean? Cause if you mean stupid, I'm pretty sure Emmett has that covered." he said helping me into his volvo. In a second he was right next to me, starting the car, and speeding down the road. "What is so fun about driving fast?" I murmured holding onto my seat even though it wasn't that bad. "Funny you should talk about speed. I was going this speed when I was taking Renesmee and Alice home. Renesmee asked me why I was going this slow. You know since I go faster than this when your not here. It's funny because a 4 year old half human half vampire is not even worried about my speed and wants me to go faster, and then a 17 year old human is scared about the speed I'm going at. You know your over reacting. You don't have to grab the seat like that. I'm not going fast enough for you to get pulled forward." he said laughing.

'Whatever!" I said trying to hide my shock. Did he really go faster than this? With Renesmee in the car? My thoughts were stopped by the Cullen house coming into view. It was wonderful, magical. My thoughts about the house were cut short too because all of a sudden Renesmee came running out the house, and started running toward them in the car. The thing was she was going faster than a human could posibly run, and not fast enough were you couldn't see her. "Woa." I mumbled as she came to the front of the car as Edward stopped it. "Hey Mom dad! Come on everyone wants to start the first book already!" she shouted practically pulling Edward's door off. She grabbed his hand. "Come on mom!" she yelled behind her as she towed Edward to the house. I followed slowly behind them. By the time I got inside, everyone was sitting down. "Hello Bella, my name is Carlise, and this is my wife Esme. Then there are my children, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice." he pointed each one out. "Hi." I said shyly. I went to go sit next to Edward, who had Renesmee on the other side of him. " Okay well there's a note addressed to all of us." Carlisle said opening the letter.

_Dear Cullen's-_

"Ha! Bella I guess you can't read this with us!" Emmett smurked at me.

"Now I get how Emmett has Stupity down." I muttered to Edward. Emmett just stared at us in shock.

_and Bella,_

_These books will help all of ya'll to fix the future. You are changing it right now by reading the books instead of going to play baseball later today. Bella and Edward these books are specifically for you two. Edward I hope by the end of all 4 these books you will think and change your views on some things. Like how your a monster with no soul, you don't want to change Bella, or the best of all of them. How you think leaving Bella is the best option. Now don't started talking about this now because I know how you can get Edward and the rest of Cullen's. Also Bella, I hope by the end of all 4 of these books you realize you are worth protecting, Edward loves just as you love him, and you can protect your family. All of the Cullen's if Edward, Bella or any other of you Cullen's get too caught up in this book, and start think crazy, I hope you can set them strait, because remember all of ya'll can change this. It's all up to you._

_p.s. the order of the books is Twilight, New moon, Eclipse, and lastly Breaking dawn. hope you enjoy!_

**(3rd person)**

"Well who wants to read first?" Carlisle asked the group.

"Me, I want to because I'm 99.9999 percent sure this is in Bella's point of view." Edward said answering everyones thoughts as to why he wanted to read.

"Watch out for the other 0.0001" Emmett said while everyone nodded in agreement.

**Preface**

**I'D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD die-**

"Does anyone?" Emmett asked confused and amused at the same time.

"I guess people in jail, but I don't think so." Alice said confused too.

"Wow mom I though dad was exagerating you are a magnet for danger!" renesmee chimed.

"I wouldn't say that now if I were you Renesmee." Edward said chuckling. Bella just glared.

"Why would you need to think about dying anyway?" Emmett said to get no answer. Edward just kept reading. Emmett just pouted.

**though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.**

"Death usually does come unexpected." Emmett said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"She's talking about the way, not death itself." Jasper said shaking his head, while Rosalie hit Emmett upside the head.

"OW!"

**I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me.**

"okay this has to be in Bella's point of view because a vampire would not be scared, or scared of dying. Seeing as we already are." Alice said rubbing her hands together.

**Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.**

"Of course you would think that! Man mom, you haven't changed at all!" nessie giggled thinking of her mother in her time.

"It is never good to die sweety." Esme said sadly.

**I knew if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision.**

"You should." Edward muttered far to low for Bella to hear.

Renesmee just gave him a stern look.

**When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me.**

"Thats the end of the preface." Edward anounced.

Alice just held out her hand for the book, but Edward started the first chapter.

"Hey!" Alice shouted and Edward chuckled.

**"First Sight."**

**"MY MOTHER DROVE ME TO THE AIRPORT WITH THE windows rolled. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect cloudless blue. I was wearing my favorite shirt- sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture.**

"Thats okay." Alice was deep in thought about a shopping trip.

**My carrye on item was a parka.**

"EW!" rosalie and Alice shouted.

**In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains on this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only a few months old. It was in this town that I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I put my foot down; ****these past three summers, my dad Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead. It was to Forks that I now exiled myself- an action that I took with great horror. I detested Forks. **

"You dont like Forks?" Esme and Renesmee asked.

"Well I used to." bella said simply eyeing edward.

"Why?" Emmett asked. Bella pointed at Edward and then rolled her eyes.

"Yep definitly didn't change!" nessie shouted.

**I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city. "Bella," my mom said to me-the last of a thousand times-before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this." My mom looks like me, except with short hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm of panic as I stared at her wide, childlike eyes. How could I leave my loving, erratic, harebrained mother to fend for herself? Of course she had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car, and someone to call when she got lost, but still...**

"Who's the mom? You or her?" Jasper asked appalled.

"M- Her." Bella said.

"Right." Jasper said shaking his head.

"I wish I could meet her, I never have. She seems so childish." renesmee murmured.

**"I _want _to go," I lied. I'd always been a bad liar, but I'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that it sounded almost convincing now. "Tell Charlie I said hi." "I will." "I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want-I'll come right back as soon as you need me." But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise. "Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, mom." She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane, and she was gone. It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie, though, I was a little worried about.**

"Why, he's you father?" Carlisle prompted.

"Uh, well I didn't know what to talk about."

"How about how great Emmett is?" the man in question or answer said.

"Because I didn't know you yet Emmett." Bella replied after Edward hit him. "Please continue." Bella said waving her hand at Edward.

**Charlie had really been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinly pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car. But it was sure to be awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what anyone would call verbose, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision-like my mother before me, I hadn't made a secret of my distaste to Forks. When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining.**

"Not a suprise." Rosalie hissed eyeing Bella. She was very much hating Bella now. Moving here, and messing everything up.

Renesmee just eyed Rosalie funny. She and bella got along just fine in her time, what was so different now? And why did Rosalie hate Bella so much?

**I didn't see it as an omen-just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun. Charlie was waiting for me with the crusier. This I was expecting, too. Charlie is Police Cheif Swan to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on top. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop. Charlie gave me an awkward, one-armed hug when I stumbled my way off the plane.**

"How many times did you fall?" Emmett asked trying to keep a strait face.

"eigh- now wait thir- no sixteen times." Bella mumbled sheepishly.

Emmett turned around, trying to muffle his laughs, but it all came out and Bella glared at him.

Renesmee shot her mom a confused glance. She just couldn't imagine her graceful mom clumsy.

**"It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied me. "You haven't changed much. How's Renee?" "Mom's fine. It's good to see you too, dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face.**

"Your not supposed to. It's rude." Edward said shocked.

"Why?" Bella said facing him.

"Well he's your father your supposed to respect him, and thats how I was raised."

**I had only a few bags. **

Alice looked like she was about to say something, but Edward kept reading.

**Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the back of the cruiser. "I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in. "What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way he said "good car for _you_" as opposed to just "good car."**

"Always observant." Edward muttered.

**"Well, it's a truck actually, a chevy." "Where did you find it?" "Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast. **

All of the Cullen's growled while Renesmee smiled hugely. "La Push!" she cried happily.

"Huh?" All the Cullen's ask in return.

"Thats where Jacob lives!" she said and then thought for a moment. "Oops! Forget I said that!"

**"No." "He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted. That would explain why I didn't remember him. I do a good job of blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory.**

"Lucky Human!" Emmett said playfully.

**"He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me this truck cheap." "What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question he was hoping I wouldn't ask. "Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine-it's only a few years old, really." I hoped he didn't think so little of me as to believe I would give up that easily. "When did he buy it?" "He bought it in 1984, I think."**

"WHAT!" Rosalie looked appalled

**"Did he buy it new?" "Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties-or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly. **

"UGH! EW! EW! How could you drive such a thing!" Rosalie kept yelling more complants.

"Enough Rosalie!" Esme said sternly. Rosalie probably would of said something if it was anyone but her.

**"Ch-dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic..." "Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore." _The thing,_ I thought to myself... it had possibilities-as a nickname, at the very least. "How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the part I couldn't compromise on. "Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression. Wow. Free. "You didn't need to do that, dad. I was going to buy myself a car." "I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud. I inherited that from him. So I was looking straight ahead as I responded. "That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it." No need to add that my being happy in forks is an impossibility. **

"That changed when I met Edward." Bella said and then blushed at her outburst.

"Yeah we all know that since you two are so obssessed with each other!" Emmett bellowed.

Edward and Rosalie hissed. After he raised his hands in apology, Edward started reading again.

**He didn't need to suffer along with me. And I never looked a free truck in the mouth-or engine. "Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarassed by my thanks. We exchanged a few more comments on the weather, which was wet, and that was pretty much it for conversation. We stared out the windows in silence. It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferms. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. It was too green-an alien planet. **

"Green is a very common color." Esme said confused.

"I really don't know what I was thinking. I get I just got too used to too sunny phoenix." bella shrugged.

**Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that he'd bought with my mother in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had-the early ones. There, parked on the strret in front of the house that never changed, was my new-well, new to me-truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense suprise, I loved it.**

"Oh god!" Rosalie muttered. How could she like that thing! It was horrible! Stupid, dumb, ignorant human!

Edward growled in return. It was minacing, and cold. It made Bella's bones go cold. Rosalie slumped back in her seat.

Renesmee frowned and then smiled at her dad. She might of liked Rosalie, but she was being mean to her mom.

** It didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged-the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the peices of the foreign car it had destroyed. **

"Perfect for you love. I think that's the only thing I love about it." Edward smirked.

Bella rolled her eyes, but agreed. She knew she was a danger magnet, and after what happened with Tyler's van she was lucky to have Edward.

**"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just that much less dreadful. I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride in the Chief's curser. **

"True." All the Cullen kids shuddered.

**"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again. It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs.**

"WHAT?" Alice shouted and started rambling to herself about taking Bella shopping.

Bella hoped Alice was kidding about shopping.

Renesmee laughed at her mom's face.

**I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellow lace curtains around the window-these were all part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk onw held a second hand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was a stipulation from my mother, so that we could stay in touch easily. **

"Mom emails me every minute!" Bella said shaking her head.

**The rocking chair from my baby days was still in the corner. There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. I was trying not to dwell too much on that fact. One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover. He left me alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether inpossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and looked pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let just a few tears escape. I wasn't in the mood to go on a real crying jag. I would save that for bedtime, when I would have to think about the coming morning.**

"Sorry sweetie. It must of been hard for you." Esme murmured.

Edward frowned knowing his behavior hadn't helped.

"It's okay really. Everyones first day of school is hard. And I think I was being overdramatic." Bella said to Esme and to Edward sensing his discomfort.

**Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven - now fifty eight - students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together - their grandparents had been toddlers together. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak. **

"Your not a freak, Bella." Edward said and Renesmee, Alice, and Esme nodded their heads agreeing.

**Maybe, if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should, I could work this to my advantage. But physically, I'd never fit in anywhere. I _should _be tan, sporty, blond - a volleyball player, or a cheerleader, perhaps - all the things that go with living in the valley of the sun. Instead, I was ivory-skinned, without even the excuse of blue eyes or red hair, despite the constant sunshine. I had always been slender, but soft somehow, obviously not an athlete; I didn't have the necessary hand-eye coordination to play sports without humiliating myself - and harming both myself and anyone else who stood to close.**

Emmett laughed at the image. Edward growled at him. "I'm going to change my gym to yours!"

**When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the communal bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. i looked sallower, unhealthy. My skin could be pretty - it was very clear, almost translucent-looking - but it all depended on color. I had no color here. Facing my pallid reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was lying to myslef. It wasn't just physically that I'd never fit in. And if I couldn't fing a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here? I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect. **

Renesmee frowned. Her mom might be different, but she was the best person ever. Edward smiled at Renesmee thoughts. "Bella your perfect,and it's good to be different." Edward said. "Yeah mom, dad's right." Renesmee agreed.

**And tomorrow would be just the beginning.****I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done crying. The constant _whooshing _of the rain and wind acroos the roof wouldn't fade into the backround. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle. Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. you could never see the sky here; it was like a cage. Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, knowing his hope was wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me.**

"That's right." Edward snorted.

"Yeah good luck slipped right out the window with you being here!" Emmett said to Edward.

**Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unmatching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of picture. First a wedding picture of Charlie and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last ****year's. Those were embarrassing to look at - I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put those somewhere else, at least while I was living here. It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Charlie had never gotten over my mom. It was uncomfortable. **

"It always is." Carlisle said sadly. His mom and dad might not of gotten divorced, but he knew his dad missed his mom a lot back then.

"You feel very sad about this. Your not over their divorce now are you?" Jasper questioned.

"No I'm not. I mean when I was littler I used to wish they could get back together and we could be a normal family, but then I realized that it couldn't happen. I'm mad at my mom though. I mean she kept me away from him all these years. I'm almost an adult, and I've only seen his about 13 times!" Bella cried hugging Edward.

"It's okay Bella." Edward soothed.

**I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket - which had the feel of a biohazard suit - and headed out into the rain. It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediatly as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving. I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. **

Bella just shook her head, still hugging Edward tight.

**I couldn't pause and admire my truck again as I wanted; I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood. Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The antique radio worked, a plus that I hadn't expected.**

Bella surprised everyone by laughing. They expected her to start crying or something. "It's okay. I'm not going to start crying anytime soon." Bella smiled.

Renesmee laughed at her mom. She could be crazy sometimes.

"Sometimes?" Edward questioned an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." Renesmee laughed with him.

Emmett groaned annoyed at their one sided conversation.

**Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most othe things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with marron-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors? **

"Why would you want that?" Emmett wondered.

"Comfort. I'm guessing they had those in Phoenix?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah." Bella agreed.

**I parked in the front of the first building, which had the small sign over the door reading FRONT OFFICE. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door. Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, which immediately made me feel overdressed.**

"Mrs. Cope." Edward shuddered.

"Aww what's wrong Eddie? Don't like that Mrs. Cope here has a crush on you?" Emmett asked.

"Shut it Emmy!" Edward said throwing a pillow at him.

**The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?" "I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last. **

Bella looked expectantly at Edward.

"Ugh, fine. It was like that, but not that bad." Edward said truthfully.

Bella wasn't sure if he was a good liar, and was lying to her, but she felt he was telling the truth.

**"Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here and a map of the school." She brought sevaral sheets to the counter to show me. She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could. When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porshe in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out.**

Edward smiled thinking about his car.

"I love the volvo!" Rensmee giggled.

"Me too." Bella said.

**Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous vloume wouldn't draw attention to me. I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me. **

Emmett laughed at Edward.

"Not that day." Edward said. He didn't want to say never either because he knew it would start an argument.

**I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck. I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. My plain black jacket didn't stand out, I noticed with relief. Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black "3" was painted on a white square on the east corner. I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. t tried holding my breath as I followed two unisex raincoats through the door. The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girl, one a porcelain-colored blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. At least my skin wouldn't be a standout here.**

"Yeah your skin is almost as pale as ours." Emmett laughed.

**I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name - not an encouraging response - and of course I flushed tomato red. But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but somehow, they managed. I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything. That was comforting... and boring. I wondered if my mom would think that was cheating.**

"Do you all do that?" Bella asked Edward.

"Well not all the time. I mean we can reuse essays, but thats if the paper was given back to us, and wasn't kept. Also every 20 years we have to come up with new ones, because the curriculum changes." Edward said

**I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on. When the bell rang, a nasal bussing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me. **

"Eric Yorkie. I bet anyone." Emmett said.

"No one is stupid enough to do that." Rosalie said hitting him on the back of the head.

"Aww." Emmett wined.

**"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type. "Bella," I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me. "Where's your next class?" he asked. I had to check in my bag. "Um, Goverment, with Jefferson, in building six." There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes. "I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way..." **

"Ugh. One of the admirers." Edward groaned.

"One of the admirers?" Renesmee asked.

"Yeah, your mom has quite a few." Edward responded back.

**Defininatly over-helpful. "I'm Eric," he added.**

"Yes!" Emmett fist pumped the air.

**I smiled tentatively. "Thanks." We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid. "So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked. "Very." "It doesn't rain much there, does it?" "Three or four times a year." "Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered. **

"This guy is seriously stupid." Renesmee laughed.

"Yeah, but at least he's not as stupid as Mike." Edward growled.

"Mike Newton? Man and I thought you hated him then!" Renesmee laughed.

"Well it looks like your hate for Mike won't end." Emmett laughed till a pillow was throw at his head by Rosalie.

"Trust me I know. Edward here makes me want to kill everyone when he's around Mike. I don't like being around the two of them when they're around each other." Jasper muttered.

**"Sunny," I told him. "You don't look very tan." "My mother is part albino." He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked lik clouds and a sense of humor didn't mix. A few months of this and I'd forget how to use sarcasm. We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south building by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked. "Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful. I smiled at him vaguely and went inside. The rest of the morning passes in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who I would have hated anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself.**

"Everyone hates him. He's a jerk." Emmett said.

"He doesn't like us at all. Just because he knows we're smart and probably smarter than him." Edward smirked.

**I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat. After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot. At least I never needed the map. One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter than my five feet four inches, but her widly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up. **

"God Jessica sure can talk. She's a handful." Alice muttered.

"Your one to talk." Bella laughed.

"Hey that's mean!" Alice pouted.

**We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room. It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.**

"Yes! I want to know what your first impression of us was." Emmett said rubbing his hands together.

**They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike many of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held my attention. They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big - muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark curly hair. **

"M-" Emmett was going to talk, but was cut off by a hit to the head by Edward.

**Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. **

"Jasper!" Alice sang, and Jasper smiled.

**The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.**

"Well doesn't that make me feel good." Edward said sarcastically.

"Oh don't worry, no one can be as sexy as my man." Alice said proudly.

"Yeah right, like your man could beat my monkey man." Rosalie disagreed.

"No my m-"

"Hey! Stop talking about who's man is the best since it is sooo obvious it's MY man! This is from a human's point of view, and I know all the women lust over MY man even if I don't like it!" Bella smirked while the others gapped at her.

Edward laughed and pulled Bella closer.

Renesmee didn't know whether to be happy or disgusted. She decided on disgusted.

**The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the _Sports Illustrated _swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. **

Rosalie smiled at her discription. It made her hate Bella a little less.

Edward growled at her vain thoughts.

**The short girl was pixie like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.**

"Why am I always described as a pixie?" Alice asked

"Because you are one, pixie." Emmett replied.

**And yet, they were all exactly alike. Everyone of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. Paler than me, the albino. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes - purplish, bruise like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their features, were straight, perfect, angular. But all this is not why I couldn't look away. I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful.**

"Very observant." Carlisle said surprised.

**They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful - maybe the perfect blond girl, or the bronze-haired boy. **

"Ooh she thinks Eddie here is beautiful." Emmett snickered.

"That's because he is." Bella said surprisingly not blushing.

**They were all looking away - away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray - unopened soda, unbitten apple - and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would I have thought possible. **

"So I wasn't the only one who made a mistake." Edward said.

"Yeah, but I paid more attention to you, so your mistakes were easier to see." Bella smirked which caused Edward to groan.

**My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging. "Who are they?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten. As she looked up to see who I meant - though already knowing, probably, from my tone - suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps.**

"In one way. I mean he's 17 for his body which is younger than any of us, but he's the oldest immortal in the group besides Carlisle and me." Jasper said.

**He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flash of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest - it was if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.**

"Couldn't read your mind." Edward muttered.

"Aww don't be mad. maybe you'll find out why not later in the books." Alice said smiling.

"Yeah dad." Renesmee agreed.

**My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did. "That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said under her breath. I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. **

"Here we go with beautiful again." Emmett laughed.

"Do I have to tell you again?" Bella questioned.

"No I know. Edward IS beautiful." Emmett said.

Everyone just laughed including Esme and Carlisle.

"I don't know if I should be worried or amused." Esme said to Carlisle.

**His mouth was moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them. Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kind of names grandparents had. **

"Well our names are over 100 years old." Jasper said.

**But maybe that was in vogue here - small town names? I finally remembered that my neighbor was called Jessica, a perfectly common name. There were two girls named Jessica in my history class back home. "They are . . . very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.**

"Conspicuous understatment?" Edward asked.

"Well I couldn't just say they're all extraordinarily beautiful, and that one with bronze hair is like a greek god." Bella said flushing beet red.

"Greek god?" Edward questioned.

"Greek god is my favorite name to describe you." Bella said embarrassed.

**"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all _together _though - Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they _live _together." Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically. But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip. "Which ones are the Cullen's?" I asked. "They don't look related . . . ." "Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales _are _brother and sister, twins - the blondes - and they're foster children." "They look a little old for foster children." "They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that." "That's really kind of nice - for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything." "I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason.****With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children, I would presume the reason was jealousy. **

"It is. She is a very selfish person. Though I have to say not the most selfish person I've meet." Edward said glancing at Rosalie.

**"I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," she added, as if that lessened their kindness.**

"Aww thanks sweetie." Esme murmured.

"It's okay. I don't like it when people talk bad about people when they don't know the whole story." Bella defended.

**Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat. "Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here. "No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska." I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard.**

"Oh, I was wondering why you were feeling those two emotion. Usually those two don't go together." Jasper murmured.

**As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation. "Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was still staring at me, but not gawking like the other students had today - he had a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again. "That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." **

"Well except for you." Edward whispered to Bella.

Bella blushed, and looked down. She couldn't believe someone as gorgeous as him, could want her.

**She sniffed, a clear case of sour grapes. I wondered when he'd turned her down. **

"Depends on which time you're talking about. Though the first time was the first day of school." Edward muttered.

**I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at him again. His face was turned away, but I thought his cheeks appeared lifted, as if he were smiling too.**

"I was." Edward laughed.

**After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful - even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn't look at me again. I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela, had Biology II with me the next hour. We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too. When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black-topped lab table like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat. **

"I'm sorry." Edward said frowning. He didn't like what was going to happen next. It just reminded him further how close he was to killing her that day.

"It's okay Edward, nothing happened." Bella soothed.

Renesmee just stared at the two of them confused. What had happened during their first meeting?

**As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face - it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled. I'd noticed that his eyes were black - coal black.**

"Oh." Renesmee said remembering how her dad had told her how her mother's blood smelt to him. "She's your singer, and you were thirsty." She spoke.

"Yeah." Edward said

**Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by _him_, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me. I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad.**

"Something good." Jasper and Edward said together.

**Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed and innocent enough odor. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher. Unfortunatly the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down. I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far away as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother. **

"See, he is muscular!" Bella said smiling.

"Why aren't you blushing?" Emmett asked. At that Bella blushed, which made him laugh.

**The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I questioned my judgement on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought. It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve. I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase _if looks could kill _suddenly ran through my mind. **

"I didn't know it was that bad." Jasper said.

"Me either." Alice agreed.

"You didn't see him?" Jasper said surprised.

"Um no. I was watching you." Alice responded.

**At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose - he was much taller than I'd thought - his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat. I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so mean. It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear that my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.**

"So that's why you looked ready to cry in the hospital?" Edward asked.

"Yes I was mad." Bella mumbled.

**"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked. I looked uo to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. **

"Ugh, great Mike has to be friendly to you after I just acted like a big jerk." Edward muttered.

**He obviously didn't think I smelled bad. "bella," I corrected him, with a smile. "I'm Mike." "Hi, Mike." "Do you need any help finding your next class?" "I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it." "That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidense in a school this small. We walked to class together; he was a chatterer - he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out he was in my english class also. He was the nicest person I'd met today. But as we were entering the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that." I cringed. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed. And, apparently, that _wasn't _Edward Cullen's usual behavior.**

"Yeah I don't glare at everyone like I'm going to kill them, and drink their mouthwatering blood." Edward said sarcastically.

**I decided to play dumb. "Was that the boy I sat next to in biology?" I asked artlessly. "Yes," he said. "He looked like he was in pain or something." "I don't know." I responded. "I never spoke to him." "He's a weird guy." Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you." I smiled at him before walking through the girls locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But it wasn't enough to ease my irritation. The gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for todays class. At home, only two years of P.E. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. Forks was literally my personal hell on Earth. I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injures I had sustained - and inflicted - playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated. **

"I really need to get gym with you." Emmett laughed.

**The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself. When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out. Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me. I recognized again that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free. He was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice.**

"Attractive voice?" Alice asked.

"What? His voice is like velvet." Bella blushed.

**I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time - any other time. I just couldn't believe that this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the biology room. The look on his face must have been about another aggravation entirely. It was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to me. The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted throught the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me - his face was absurdly handsome - with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. **

"You were scared?" Jasper asked in a shocked voice.

"Well at least she was scared once." Edward said hopefully.

**The look only last a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind. He turned back to the receptionist. "Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door. I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip. "How did you first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally. "Fine," I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced. When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Charlie's house, fighting tears the whole way there.**

"You made her cry!" Alice shouted at Edward who was already looking guilty.

"I'm sorry love, I-" Edward was cut off by Bella's lips. She pulled back after a sweet kiss.

"I know, but you did your best. You could of killed me."

"Exactly I could have."

"But you didn't." Bella insisted.

"Yes son, she's right. Not alot of people have that kind of restrant. I'm very proud of you." Carlisle soluted.

"Thanks dad. I always want to make you proud." Edward said hesitant.

"You always make me proud. Now who is going to read next?"

Jasper raised his hand slowly, to see if anyone else wanted to and Edward passed him the book. Alice was so caught up in looking for the future she didn't realize what was happening until Jasper started reading.

"Hey! It was my turn! I am reading next chapter!" she huffed.

**"Open Book." Jasper read.**


	2. Chapter 2 Open Book!

**((READ!)) Okay here's the second chapter! I've been real busy beta reading for Twilight Forever222 and Poopsi. You have to read their stories they're both great! Well anyways, even though I'm busy I will still be posting chapters. My laptop which was tragically broken by my sister, had this chapter on it, so that's why you get this late. Sorry! ALSO! I was wondering if anyone wanted anymore characters put into the reading. What about Charlie, Renee? Edward's real parents? One of the Cullen's from the future? One of the students at school? Just tell me cause, I'm thinking about it. Here's the disclaimer.**

**Me: Hey Stephanie if I marry you, what you own I own right?**

**Stephenie: Yeah...**

**Me: Will you marry me? Please?**

**Stephenie: Um... Why?**

**Me: So I can own Twilight of course!**

**None of us own Twilight but Stephenie Meyer though we all wish we did!**

**Open Book**

"**Open Book.**" Jasper read again after the whole family stopped laughing at Alice's antics.

**The next day was better… and worse.**

"I bet dad has something to do with that!" Renesmee said giggling as she saw her dad's face which was frowning.

"I thought you liked me!" Edward replied faking hurt. He was starting to see her as his little girl, and he already loved her so much.

"I don't!" Renesmee said it brightly. "I love you!" she concluded in a tone that said it was the most obvious thing ever.

**It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. Mike came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class, with Chess Club Eric glaring at him all the while; that was flattering. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was treading water, instead of drowning in it.**

"You're weird Bella." Alice said laughing loudly.

Bella blushed pink, but then remembered something. "Your one to talk the girl who has visions and see's the future!" Bella spoke cutting off Alice's laughs.

Edward laughed quietly next to Bella, while Alice fixed her eyes on his face.

"You told her about me?" Alice said glaring.

"Of course sweet sister of mine who I love oh so dearly." Edward sang smiling. It shocked everyone for a second to see him that way, but then everyone

was laughing at Alice who was pouting in her seat.

**It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and the one time I didn't cringe out of the way of the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it. And it was worse because Edward Cullen wasn't in school at all.**

"Told you!" Renesmee laughed

Edward just shook his head.

**All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing his bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to**

**confront him and demand to know what his problem was.**

"You should be thankful he saved you! It's you who's the problem! Stupid human!" Rosalie spat growling loudly.

Edward glared at Rosalie and if Renesmee and Bella weren't there someone would have lost their head.

Bella curled into Edward scared a bit. _She is right though. _Bella thought sadly.

Renesmee was very close to yelling at her aunt, but she knew that it was disrespectful.

"Jasper." Carlisle asked and Jasper nodded calming everyone down.

Rosalie huffed and ran to her room to be away from Bella.

"Jasper continue Rosalie can hear from down here." Carlisle suggested.

**While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. But I knew myself too well to think I would really have the guts to do it. I made the Cowardly Lion look like the terminator. But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica — trying to keep my eyes from**

**sweeping the place for him, and failing entirely — I saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.**

**Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table.**

"Ugh stupid Mike newton." Edward growled.

"Calm down dad." Renesmee murmured patting Edward's shoulder effectively stopping his stiff posture.

**Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that he would simply ignore me when he came, and prove my suspicions false.**

**He didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense. I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't showed. Mike, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever,**

**walked faithfully by my side to class. I held my breath at the door, but Edward Cullen wasn't there, either.**

**I exhaled and went to my seat. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach.**

**He lingered by my desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Mike, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice dealing with overly friendly boys.**

**I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Edward was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that I was the reason he wasn't there. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true. When the school day was finally done, and the blush was fading out of my cheeks from the volleyball incident, I changed**

**quickly back into my jeans and navy blue sweater. I hurried from the girls' locker room, pleased to find that I had successfully evaded my retriever friend for the moment. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed.**

**Last night I'd discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon.**

"How did he survive?" Esme wondered out loud.

"The diner I guess." Bella thought sadly. She was starting to feel very bad for never visiting her dad more during her life.

"That's not very healthy." Carlisle said.

**So I requested that I be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of my stay. He was**

**willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house. So I had my shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled FOOD MONEY, and I was on my way to the Thriftway.**

**I gunned my deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, trying to pretend that the earsplitting rumble was coming from someone else's car, I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn't noticed their clothes before — I'd been too mesmerized by their faces. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off.**

"No if I have something to do with it." Alice shrieked. "That's just horrible, way worse than your horrid things you call clothes."

Bella took little offence to Alice's insult. _She's crazy after all._

"Oh please no." Jasper pled knowing what was going to happen next.

"Jasper we're going shopping later." Alice smiled apparently not hearing him.

**It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn't look as if it bought them any acceptance here. No, I didn't fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; I couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by that degree of beauty.**

**They looked at my noisy truck as I passed them, just like everyone else. I kept my eyes straightforward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds. The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping at home,**

**and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof to remind me where I was.**

**When I got home, I unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space. I hoped Charlie wouldn't mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.**

**When I was finished with that, I took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my**

**homework, I changed into a pair of dry sweats, pulled my damp hair up into a pony-tail, and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.**

"From your mom I bet." Renesmee laughed. She had heard some crazy stories about her from her mom. Her dad even had one or two.

_**"Bella,"**_** my mom wrote…**

_**Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse.**_

_**Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. Mom.**_

**I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.**

_**"Bella,"**_** she wrote…**

_**Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Mom.**_

**The last was from this morning.**

_**Isabella,**_

"OH, she said your full name you're in trouble." Emmett laughing.

"You're the one to know." Edward said shaking his head.

"Hey! That's not true!" Emmett shouted throwing a pillow at Edward, who casually flinged it off before it could hit him.

"Ahhh!" Emmett said frustrated with Edward and his mind reading ability.

"Emmett Dale McCarthy Cullen!" Esme called freezing Emmett. "Stop throwing pillows at your brother."

"But it's not true! I don't get in trouble all the time!"

"Oh be quiet and stop throwing pillows." Esme said ending the conversation.

Alice, Renesmee, Bella, and Edward laughed while Carlisle just shook his head.

_**If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.**_

**I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.**

_**Mom,**_

_**Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.**_

_**Bella.**_

**I sent that, and began again.**

_**Mom,**_

_**Everything is great. Of course it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.**_

_**Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me. I miss you, too.**_

_**I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every five minutes. Relax, breathe. I love you.**_

_**Bella.**_

**I had decided to read **_**Wuthering Heights **_— **the novel we were currently studying in English — yet again for the fun of it,**

"That book is horrid, I don't understand how you can read it for fun." Edward snorted.

Rosalie descended down the stairs slowly, and sat down next to Emmett quietly.

**and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd lost track of the time, and I hurried downstairs to take the potatoes out and put the steak in to broil.**

**"Bella?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs. Who else? I thought to myself. "Hey, Dad, welcome home."**

**"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about the kitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready.**

**When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door.**

**I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose.**

"That would be funny if Bella accidently shot herself in the foot!" Emmett giggled like a little kid.

"No it would not be." Edward said glaring.

"Dad's right, I accidently shot myself in the leg with grandpa's gun, trust me it hurt, and I'm half vampire." Renesmee said seriously.

"You accidently shot yourself?" Edward and Bella said at the exact same time.

"Umm, well I guess not accidently. I kinda wanted to know how it felt to get shot, and I pulled the trigger before I could move it further." She replied even more serious.

"Are you suicidal?" Edward asked hugging her close. It hurt him to think about his little girl getting hurt.

**"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible.**

**I was surprised, and sad, that he seemed to remember that far back. "Steak and potatoes," I answered, and he looked relieved.**

**He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both more comfortable that way. I made a salad while the steaks cooked, and set the table.**

**I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.**

**"Smells good, Bell." "Thanks."**

**We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. Neither of us was**

**bothered by the quiet.**

**In some ways, we were well suited for living together. "So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.**

**"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With one outstanding exception. "That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid**

— **nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here." "Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked hesitantly.**

**"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."**

"It's nice to know someone thinks good of me, even if I don't deserve it." Carlisle murmured lowly.

Bella was shocked by his words. She could tell he was good man, his every action showed that, so why did he believe not? She glanced sideways at Edward who was lost in thought.

"Do you really believe that?" Bella and Esme said at the same time, while the others nodded in agreement. They couldn't imagine their loving and caring father as bad.

Edward, who had been a little caught up during this, stood up abruptly. "That's not true Carlisle, I never blamed you for changing me, because I knew you were only trying to help. That doesn't make you a bad person." He said sternly.

"Yes it does, because for 100 years I have had to see you alone, sad, unhappy, and I never helped. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't know how to. Then my son, who I love dearly, sees himself as a monster, and shouldn't live. How can I call myself a good person, when my son who I see as another me, thinks this way?" Carlisle was about to go on when Renesmee stepped up.

"Both of you stop! I don't want to hear you two talk this way! Let's just get back to reading." She waved to Jasper, and Edward sat back down, pulling Bella closer.

"I am-" Before Edward could finish, Renesmee spoke loudly.

"All I know is that I have a wonderful grandpa who's always asking how I'm feeling, and an AMAZING dad who I love more than the number of the stars in the sky. He is understanding, can't stand to yell at me even when I do stupid stuff, always holds me when I'm down, always knows what to say to make me feel better, and the first thing he asks when he sees me crying is, 'who do I have to beat up?' He's more than I could ever ask for."

Before Renesmee could finish her words, Edward crushed her to him, and cradled her cheek. His eyes shined with happiness, and for a moment everyone thought that a tear would roll down his cheek. He swallowed, and cleared his throat. His voice was heavy with emotion as he spoke.

"I have only known you for a day, and already I feel like I've known you forever. You're my daughter from the future, and you're my daughter now. You'll always be." His smile was blinding, and even Rosalie could feel the happiness it came from.

"Hey what about me?" Bella spoke from Edward's other side, looking at both of them-who at her voice- turn to face her.

"We didn't forget about you mom, you're a very important part in this too." Renesmee started to speak again, but Emmett cut in.

"STOP! I can't take this, Jasper please start reading again!"

**"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school." Charlie surprised me by looking angry.**

**"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could**

**probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him — lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite.**

**I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."**

"Wow!" Emmett gaped really shocked.

**It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying.**

**I backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary. "You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily**

**married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."**

"I didn't know this?" Esme asked inquisitively.

"Don't worry, my heart is only for you." Carlisle said without missing a beat. Well actually he did miss a beat, quite a lot of them.

**We lapsed back into silence as we finished eating. He cleared the table while I started on the dishes. He went back to the TV, and after I finished washing the dishes by hand — no dishwasher — I went upstairs unwillingly to work on my math homework. I could feel a tradition in the making.**

**That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted. The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school.**

**In Gym, the kids on my team learned not to pass me the ball and to step quickly in front of me if the other team tried to take advantage of my weakness. I happily stayed out of their way.**

**Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.**

"You know dad it's not good to skip school." Renesmee shook her head sternly at him and everyone laughed at her.

"Hey!" she said glaring at everyone.

"I know sweetie." Edward patted her shoulder to calm her down. She nodded and leaned into him.

**Every day, I watched anxiously until the rest of the Cullens entered the cafeteria without him.**

**Then I could relax and join in the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centered around a trip to the La Push Ocean Park in two weeks that Mike was putting together. I was invited, and I had agreed to go, more out of politeness than desire.**

**Beaches should be hot and dry.**

**By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class, no longer worried that Edward would be there. For all I knew, he had dropped out of school. I tried not to think about him, but I couldn't totally suppress the worry that I was responsible for his continued absence,**

**ridiculous as it seemed.**

"Well Edward is pretty ridiculous himself so.." Emmett chuckled.

"I'll show you ridiculous!" Edward spat at him.

"Go dad!" Renesmee looked at Bella expectantly.

"Go Edward?" she said slowly.

Renesmee nodded in approvement.

**My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, and wrote my mom more bogusly cheerful e-mail. I did drive to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that I didn't bother to get a card; I would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. I wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got…**

**and shuddered at the thought. The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet,**

**so I was able to sleep well.**

**People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Mike took his accustomed seat by my side. We had a pop quiz on **_**Wuthering Heights**_**. It was straightforward, very easy.**

"Yeah because you've read it 678 times!" Renesmee raised both her hands and shook them as she talked.

"I don't think I've read it that many times." Bella smiled.

"No you have. At home you read it almost every day! Even if you didn't have photographic memory, you would know every single word by heart a thousand times over." Renesmee rambled and soon Alice was rambling along with her until everyone just stopped listening and Jasper read again.

**All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point. More comfortable than I had ever expected to feel here. When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white.**

**I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose.**

**"Wow," Mike said. "It's snowing." I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.**

**He looked surprised. "Don't you like snow?"**

**"No. That means it's too cold for rain." Obviously. "Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes — you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips."**

"You've never seen snow have you?" Emmett asked blatantly.

"Yes, I have." Bella responded truthfully, with a bit of humor at the end.

Emmett just nodded, believing.

Rosalie caught on though, "Before then?" she questioned.

Bella was a little shocked that Rosalie was fully addressing her, and without anger. And then she smiled a little, "Nope," Bella laughed hugging Edward.

**"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" he asked incredulously.**

**"Sure I have." I paused." On TV." Mike laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of his head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Eric, who was walking away, his back toward us — in the wrong direction for his next class. Mike apparently had the same notion. He bent over and began scraping together a pile of the white mush.**

**"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside."**

**He just nodded, his eyes on Eric's retreating figure. Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the new year. I kept my mouth shut. Sure, it was drier than rain— until it melted in your socks.**

**I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Jessica after Spanish. Mush balls were flying**

**everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Jessica thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a snowball at me herself.**

**Mike caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Jessica were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. And then I froze where I stood. There were five people at the table.**

"Dun dun dun!" Emmett and Jasper sang, throwing their hands in the air dramatically.

Both of their wives just shook their heads at them, and rolled their eyes.

"I'm glad you don't do that." Bella said exasperated.

"That's because I'm not stupid." Edward scoffed at Emmett and Jasper.

"Your just a prude!" Emmett chuckled reaching his hand for Jasper to high five it.

Jasper didn't respond to it, he just looked the other way.

Bella glared at Emmett, and Emmett shrunk into his seat, nudging Jasper.

**Jessica pulled on my arm.**

**"Hello? Bella? What do you want?"**

**I looked down; my ears were hot. I had no reason to feel self-conscious, I reminded myself. I hadn't done anything wrong.**

**"What's with Bella?" Mike asked Jessica.**

"Why don't you ask her you moron!" Alice glared at the book.

"Language please." Esme murmured quietly.

"He is a moron though." Edward replied sweetly.

Esme smiled brightly. "Even so, please watch your tone."

Everyone caught her hidden words.

**"Nothing," I answered. "I'll just get a soda today." I caught up to the end of the line.**

**"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.**

**"Actually, I feel a little sick," I said, my eyes still on the floor.**

**I waited for them to get their food, and then followed them to a table, my eyes on my**

**feet. I sipped my soda slowly, my stomach churning. Twice Mike asked, with unnecessary concern, how I was feeling. I told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I **_**should **_**play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour.**

**Ridiculous. I shouldn't have to run away.**

**I decided to permit myself one glance at the Cullen family's table. If he was glaring at me, I would skip Biology, like the coward I was.**

"You never were a coward, I mean you talked to vampires on a daily basis! I think it was because you liked him." Carlisle informed.

Edward smiled, and patted Bella.

**I kept my head down and glanced up under my lashes. None of them were looking this way. I lifted my head a little.**

**They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else — only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us.**

**But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I Couldn't quite pinpoint what that difference was. I examined Edward the most carefully.**

**His skin was less pale, I decided — flushed from the snow fight maybe — the circles**

**under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change. "Bella, what are you staring at?" Jessica intruded, her eyes following my stare.**

**At that precise moment, his eyes flashed over to meet mine.**

**I dropped my head, letting my hair fall to conceal my face. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that he didn't look harsh or unfriendly as he had the last time I'd seen him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.**

**"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled in my ear.**

**"He doesn't look angry, does he?" I couldn't help asking.**

**"No," she said, sounding confused by my question. "Should he be?" "I don't think he likes me," I confided. I still felt queasy. I put my head down on my**

**arm.**

**"The Cullens don't like anybody…well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you."**

**"Stop looking at him," I hissed.**

**She snickered, but she looked away. I raised my head enough to make sure that she did, contemplating violence if she resisted.**

"Like little Bella here would hurt anybody!" Emmett chuckled.

"Ah, actually mommy punched a boy in the face after he forced a kiss on her."

"Who kissed her?" Edward asked. Bella was slightly curious too.

"One of her friends I think." Ness responded twirling her hair.

"It better not be Newton, I'll kill him!"

**Mike interrupted us then — he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the**

**parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Jessica agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Mike left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested.**

**I kept silent. I would have to hide in the gym until the parking lot cleared. For the rest of the lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes at my own table. I decided to honor the bargain I'd made with myself. Since he didn't look angry, I would go to Biology. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to him again.**

**I didn't really want to walk to class with Mike as usual — he seemed to be a popular**

**target for the snowball snipers — but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining,**

**washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled my hood up, secretly pleased. I would be free to go straight home after Gym.**

**Mike kept up a string of complaints on the way to building four.**

**Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.**

**I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefully**

**focused on the pattern I was drawing. "Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.**

**I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet,**

**disheveled — even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel.**

**His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful. "My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."**

"First mistake. Everyone calls her Isabella."

**My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was**

**perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say.**

**"H-how do you know my name?" I stammered.**

**He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.**

"Enchanting? Every time you talk about him, it's about how beautiful he is, or how musical he sounds. _Oh Edward, your voice is like melting butter to my ears, I just wanna touch those strong muscles of yours, and squeeze them!_" Jasper exaggerated.

"Whoa, Jasper buddy we know she likes to go on about how beautiful Edward is, but still you don't have to bring your inner gay out." Emmett cooed to Jasper.

Everyone except Jasper started laughing, until he started reading again.

**"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."**

**I grimaced. I knew it was something like that.**

**"No," I persisted stupidly. "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"**

**He seemed confused. "Do you prefer Isabella?" "No, I like Bella," I said. "But I think Charlie — I mean my dad — must call me**

**Isabella behind my back — that's what everyone here seems to know me as,"**

**I tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron. "Oh." He let it drop. I looked away awkwardly.**

**Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order.**

**Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the**

**phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.**

**"Get started," he commanded.**

**"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at him like an idiot.**

**"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; he was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent.**

**"No," I said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."**

**I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.**

**My assessment was confident." Prophase." "Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught**

**mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold, like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away so quickly.**

**When he touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us.**

"Did you feel that?" Bella asked. It was such a wonderful feeling, she wanted to know if he felt it too.

"Yeah, when we touched your skin felt much hotter than the normal temperature." Edward sighed rubbing his hands up and down her shoulders.

**"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him, still staggered, as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.**

**"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.**

**"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke. I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"**

**He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.**

"Mister know-it-all never messes up." Emmett warned.

"Yeah, until Bella got here. Then he kept messing up left and right." Alice laughed high fiving Emmett.

**I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right. "Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at him.**

**He handed it to me; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again.**

**I took the most fleeting look I could manage.**

**"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it while he looked, but his clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn't want to spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl.**

**We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Mike and his partner**

**comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.**

**Which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at him… unsuccessfully. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes.**

**Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in his face. "Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.**

**He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No." "Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."**

**He shrugged, and looked away.**

**In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black color of his eyes the last time he'd glared at me — the color was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone.**

**I didn't understand how that could be, unless he was lying for some reason about the contacts. Or maybe Forks was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word.**

**I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again. Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.**

**"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?"**

**Mr. Banner asked.**

**"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five."**

**Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical. "Have you done this lab before?" he asked.**

**I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root."**

**"Whitefish blastula?" "Yeah."**

**Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"**

**"Yes."**

**"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He**

**mumbled something else as he walked away.**

" He said, 'So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves.' It was very rude if I might add." Edward informed gently.

"Mr. Banner is just mad because everything we do is perfect, and that we're smarter than him." Alice added.

"He's jealous of course, like every other human at school. Humans can be so predictable." Edward groaned.

"Hey! I'm a human." Bella spoke nudging Edward.

"Yes, you are. Your different from all the other humans though. You're so unpredictable." They both smiled at each other.

Emmett stared at Renesmee. "You?" He directed toward her.

"What? Don't look at me. I'm half vampire, a hybrid, I'm definitely not predictable." she sighed and then flicked her hands at Jasper.

**After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.**

**"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. **

"Are you seriously asking about the weather? Wow Edward you have no experience at all, I mean that's so original it's not even funny!" Emmett chuckled.

"Then why are you laughing?" Edward asked, and Alice nodded her head at him.

Emmett stopped short. "Oh, I… I don't… know. Huh."

**I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. It was like he had heard my conversation with Jessica at lunch and was trying to prove me wrong.**

**"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else.**

**I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate.**

**"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question. "Or the wet." "Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.**

**"You have no idea," I muttered darkly. He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.**

**"Why did you come here, then?" No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding.**

"Edward you need to stop being so rude, I know you weren't raised that way." Esme chided him.

Edward became saddened over her words. "Sorry mom. I didn't mean to." He almost flinched like he had been whiplashed.

"Oh." Esme spoke as she realized what she'd said. "Edward dear, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to speak of that. I only meant to-"

"Mom, it's fine really. You didn't mean any harm. I took it the wrong way."

**"It's… complicated."**

**"I think I can keep up," he pressed.**

**I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking.**

**"My mother got remarried," I said. "That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic.**

**"When did that happen?"**

**"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me. "And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.**

"Don't jump to assumptions, or conclusions, she'll bit your head off." Edward muttered.

"If only you had of know that then Edward, if only." Alice said dead serious, shaking her head and trying to hold her laughter in.

**"No, Phil is fine. Too young, maybe, but nice enough."**

**"Why didn't you stay with them?"**

**I couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life's story was somehow vitally important.**

"Everything about you is important." Edward rubbed his nosed across Bella's cheek, sniffing her.

"Ahh," Bella tried to concentrate so she could speak. "But, you barely knew me."

"And even then, you interested me to no end."

"Yah! He couldn't stop thinking about you. He started stalking you, watching you in your room." Emmett added.

"You never told me this." Bella looked at Edward confused.

"I was going to trust me, but Renesmee got there before I could. I'll explain later."

**"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled.**

**"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response. "Probably not. He doesn't play **_**well**_**. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."**

**"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an**

**assumption again, not a question.**

"Jeez Edward do you ever learn? I thought you were a stupid know-it-all, but now I think you just dumb." Emmett muttered.

"Says the guy who thought elephants were purple and pink. Since they weren't you wanted to paint them that." Edward cackled laughing like crazy, his whole body shaking. He almost fell to the ground again.

**My chin raised a fraction." No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed** **unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.**

**I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity. "She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." My voice was glum by the time I finished.**

**"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out. "And?" I challenged.**

**"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense. I laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."**

**"I believe I **_**have **_**heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.**

**"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way. His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be**

**willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."**

**I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old,**

**and looked away.**

**"Am I wrong? "I tried to ignore him.**

**"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.**

"Stupid smug vampire who knows everything." Emmett said still aggravated.

Edward just eyed him, and smirked.

As if to say, _Do you really want to go there?_

Rosalie who weirdly was watching them rolled her eyes. "Oh stop it you two. You can argue, and wrestle later."

**"Why does it matter to **_**you?**_**" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the**

**teacher make his rounds.**

**"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.**

**I sighed, scowling at the blackboard. "Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.**

**I glanced at him without thinking… and told the truth again." Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — my mother always calls me her open book."**

"Title of the chapter!" Esme said lightly.

Everyone stared at her, they couldn't believe she had spoken, or what she had spoken.

She waved her hand and looked at them in confusion. "What? Everyone is always interrupting, I thought I should say something."

"Go grandma!" Renesmee shouted. Now everyone was staring at her.

**I frowned.**

**"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.**

**"You must be a good reader then," I replied. "Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.**

"Why were you trying to scare her?" Rosalie asked for the first time in like… ever.

Edward looked at her shocked, but recovered, half ready to hear her add a quick remark. "Because I was interested by her, but didn't want to get her involved. That's how it's always been."

Rosalie didn't say anything, but she was thinking hard. She just nodded and half smiled at her brother.

**Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I turned with relief to listen. I was in**

**disbelief that I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me. He'd seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.**

**I tried to appear attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But my thoughts were unmanageable.**

**When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And, like last Monday, I stared after him in amazement. Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I imagined him with a wagging tail.**

**"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."**

"You're lucky I don't kill you. Though you luck is running thin, real thin Newton." Edward spoke as if Newton was actually there.

**"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. **

"See dad?" Renesmee asked nudging him.

"Yeah, stupid Mike Newton too." Edward laughed, and kissed Bella's cheek.

**I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt.**

**"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it. I tried to sound indifferent. "I wonder what was with him last Monday."**

"Your face, that's what was with him!" Renesmee shot out.

"Renesmee are you okay?" Carlisle asked concerned.

"Yeah, Newton is just worse than Dad said."

"Well that's hard to believe. Edward blows everything out of proportion." Bella sighed

"I agree, I do sometime do that, plus with Newton..." Edward growled letting the sentence hang.

**I couldn't concentrate on Mike's chatter as we walked to Gym, and PE Didn't do much to hold my attention, either. Mike was on my team today. He chivalrously covered my position as well as his own, so my woolgathering was only interrupted when it was my turn to serve; my team ducked warily out of the way every time I was up.**

**The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. I got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.**

**I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white**

**figure. Edward Cullen was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I swiftly looked away and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste. Lucky for the Toyota, I stomped on the brake in time. It was just the sort of car that my truck would make scrap metal of. **

"You know that was hilarious."

**I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw him laughing. **

"Alright, I'm finished, thank god that's over with. How many times did someone hit me, nudge me, or wave their hand at me to get me to continue?" Jasper sighed as he sat back down into the couch.

"Give me the book now. It's my turn." Alice huffed reaching out her hand.

"Bella?" Edward called, looking down at her.

"Yes Edward?" she replied smiling at him.

He paused for a second, before shaking his head.

"Never mind, um, it's nothing, don't worry." Edward smiled quickly and looked up at Alice.

She did not miss their conversation, and stared at Edward, sending him a silent message.

"Okay, here goes. **Chapter 3 Phenomenon." **


End file.
